Welsh onion
Allium fistulosum L.
Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum) is a clumping herb with hollow tubular leaves and no large bulb; it is an indispensable Vietnamese garnishing herb and seasoning used in soups, stir-fries and rolls.
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Welsh onion — PlantWelsh onion — Whole tree
Welsh onion — Fruit & seeds
Welsh onion — Flowers
Welsh onion — Leaves
Welsh onion — Seeds & young plantsWelsh onion — PlantWelsh onion — Whole treeOverview
A herb 0.3–0.7 m tall growing in dense clumps. Leaves are hollow tubes, long and dark green, with a white base. It forms no true bulb like the onion; the base only swells slightly. Rounded umbels of pale-yellow to white flowers top a long scape; it rarely sets fertile seed, often producing small bulbils.
It is the most common seasoning herb, eaten raw or cooked. Sulphur compounds (alliin, allicin) give its characteristic aroma and mild antibacterial activity; the leaves are rich in vitamins A, C and K and fibre. It tolerates cold better than the onion and is easy to grow year-round.
Life cycle
From seed to productSeed
Small black seeds sown on moist soil germinate in 1–2 weeks.
Young plant
Young plants form clumps and can be divided for propagation.
Flowering
A long scape bears a pale-yellow umbel, often producing bulbils instead of seed.
Harvest
Whole clumps are pulled or leaves cut for use; plants regrow several times a year.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- East Asia (origin)24%
- China26%
- Vietnam · Southeast Asia24%
- India · South Asia14%
- Northeast Asia · elsewhere12%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Sulphur compoundsAlliin, allicin32%
- Vitamin A · C · KIn green leaves32%
- FlavonoidsAntioxidant18%
- Minerals · fibrePotassium, calcium18%
Uses
- Garnishing and seasoning herb for soups, stir-fries and rolls; eaten raw or cooked
- Traditional remedy (cold relief, mild antiseptic)
- Grown in pots and home gardens; hardy, harvested year-round
Properties
- Leaf
- Hollow, tubular, white base
- Base
- Slightly swollen, no bulb
- Flower
- Round umbel, pale yellow–white
Habitat & conservation
Originating in East Asia (China); likes a cool to warm climate and loose, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil; grown year-round in the lowlands and hardier to cold than the onion.
Conservation
Not globally threatened (IUCN: Least Concern). A globally familiar crop supplied mainly by farming.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Allium fistulosum — Kew Science, 2024
- 2IUCN Red List — Allium fistulosum — IUCN, 2019
- 3Allium crops of the world — botany and uses — CABI, 2018
- 4Hình ảnh minh hoạ lấy từ Wikimedia Commons, tôn trọng giấy phép ghi kèm — Wikimedia Commons,
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Forest and Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0 us), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: Salicyna (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 7Nguồn ảnh: Dalgial (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,